Biography & Memoir

Actress Holly Woodlawn. Woodlawn was part of Andy Warhol's New York's scene in the 60s and early 70s. Perhaps her high point came when she starred in Warhol's movie "Trash." Woodlawn was born a boy, her career as a transvestite was immortalized in Lou Reed's song, "Take A Walk On the Wild Side." Woodlawn has a new memoir, called "A Low Life in High Heels: The Holly Woodlawn Story.." (It's published by St Martin's Press).

Soviet emigre, and Manhattan cab driver Vladimir Lobas. In 1977, Lobas was living in New York, and needed some quick cash, so he got a job driving a cab. His first day on the job was also the first time he had Ever driven an automobile. He's written about his experiences in a new memoir, called "Taxi From Hell." (It's published by Soho).

Musician Glen Matlock. Matlock was an original member of the British punk band, The Sex Pistols. He was kicked out of the band in 1977, and replaced by Sid Vicious. Matlock has written a new book about the band, titled "I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol." (It's published by Faber and Faber).

Talk show host Joan Rivers. Rivers has a new memoir, called "Still Talking." (It's published Random House).

Basketball great Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain has a new memoir of his career on the court, and his sometimes controversial life off the court. It's called "A View From Above."

Terry talks with journalist James Reston. Since 1940, he's worked at the New York Times, as a reporter, Washington bureau chief, executive editor, and columnist. He's just written a new memoir, called "Deadline." (It's published by Random House).

Composer, director, and writer Elizabeth Swados. She's written a memoir about her family, "The Four of Us." Much of it has to do with her brilliant but schizophrenic brother, Lincoln, and how his illness affected the family. Her brother became a street person, and later died. (published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux).

Veteran standup comedian Henny Youngman. Youngman has a new memoir, called "Take My Life, Please." (It's published by Morrow).

News anchor Dan Rather. As anchor of the CBS Evening News, Rather's probably the most visible journalist in America. He has a new memoir called "I Remember." (It's published by Little, Brown).

Book critic John Leonard reviews Jimmy Breslin's new biography of Damon Runyon.

Writer Jake Lamar. In his new memoir, "Bourgeois Blues," Lamar examines the issue of race in his life, and in American society. (published by Summit Books).

Writer and critic Doris Grumbach. In her new memoir, "Coming Into The End Zone," Grumbach chronicles the 70th year of her life, faces the specter of her impending death, as well of the deaths of several of her friends due to AIDS. (It's published by Norton).

Chinese writer Jung Chang. She was born in China but left in 1978 to study. She now lives in England. Her book, "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China," (published by Simon & Schuster). It's the story of Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother Chang's grandmother was born into feudal society, whose feet were bound at the age of two; she was a concubine at 15. Chang's mother grew up under Japanese occupation, was a part of the Communist-led student underground, and later a heroine of the revolution.

Actor Hume Cronyn. For more than 50 years, Cronyn has been one of the most distinguish actors working. He's written a new memoir about his life, called "A Terrible Liar." (It's published by Morrow). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. He's written a new memoir, called "Koop: The Memoirs if America's Family Doctor." (It's published by Random House).

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Memoirs" by English writer Kingsley Amis (published by Summit Books).

Critic John Leonard reviews a new novel by Josephine Herbst, "The Starched Blue Sky of Spain."

Stephen Carter, who's written the book "Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby" (Basic Books) has led a privileged and fortunate life, growing up in a professional black family, attending Ivy League schools and subsequently becoming one of the youngest tenured law professors in Yale University's history. But Carter has also weathered academic and professional experiences in which he was pigeonholed and patronized on account of his race.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews two books about sisters: "A Very Close Conspiracy," by Jane Dunn, and "The Dark Sister," by Rebecca Goldstein.

Book critic John Leonard reviews a new book about the decline of the labor movement, "Which Side are you on: Trying to be for Labor When its flat on its back," by Thomas Geoghegan.